Exiled Stephon Marbury met with New York Knick president Donnie Walsh at the team's Westchester headquarters for 45 minutes Thursday, and the sides held preliminary discussions about a buyout, two sources told The New York Post. Marbury, who has no agent, was joined by Players Association attorney Hal Biagas.

The ball is now rolling for a Marbury-Knick divorce. A team source said an official breakup could happen in one week. According to a source, Marbury asked Walsh for permission to talk with other clubs, and Walsh is expected to grant that wish soon. Walsh may request that Marbury agree not to sign with an Eastern Conference team.

Marbury will be on the bench Friday night in street clothes when the Knicks host Oklahoma City (7:30 p.m., MSG, WEPN-1050 AM).

It will be Marbury's eighth straight "inactive" after a DNP in the opener. Walsh has refused to waive Marbury, though coach Mike D'Antoni will not use him.

It's a decision the coach can start to justify considering the Knicks' successful 5-3 start following their 132-point explosion in Memphis on Wednesday.

For a franchise in full LeBron James-Chris Bosh recruiting mode, there has been little separation of the Knicks’ new order from its dysfunctional past. The mismanagement of the Stephon Marbury saga has delivered a disheartening message to today’s and tomorrow’s Knicks: Once again, Marbury was empowered to drain the spirit out of the locker room. Once again, he’s been enable to dictate the terms of engagement.

With his franchise in crisis, Walsh should’ve been in Detroit on Wednesday to suspend Marbury on the spot. Once Marbury had refused Mike D’Antoni’s demand to play for a second time in six days, the guard never should’ve been allowed back into the Knicks’ locker room.

One source said the Knicks have essentially suspended Marbury beginning Friday, forbidding him from attending practices and games. But the embarrassment had already gone on too long, and should’ve been stopped weeks ago. The damage has been done.

In the end Wednesday, it was Knicks veteran Quentin Richardson publicly ripping Marbury for betraying his teammates. He shouldn’t have had to be the lone voice. That’s Walsh’s job. He should’ve been there.

NEW YORK -- Stephon Marbury has been suspended for one game by the New York Knicks, who are alleging he refused to play Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons.

Marbury was docked one game's pay and his salary will be reduced an additional 1/110th, the team said Friday. That works out to $189,460 of his $20,840,625 salary for this season.

A source told ESPN.com on Friday that Marbury has been told to stay away from the team at least until Monday, when his status will be re-addressed. He will not practice Friday, nor will he be welcome in the home locker room at Madison Square Garden when the Knicks play the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.

"A player's central obligation is to provide his professional services when called upon," team president of basketball operations Donnie Walsh said in the team's announcement. "Because he refused the coach's request to play in the team's last game, we had no choice but to impose disciplinary action."

Marbury has disputed the Knicks' allegation that he refused to play, telling The New York Post: "I never told [coach Mike D'Antoni] I'm not going to play. Those words never came out of my mouth. That's insubordination."

According to New York-area media reports, the Knicks were expected to send Marbury home while considering solutions to the problem. Those included fining and suspending him, trying to reach a buyout agreement with him or simply sending him home with pay until he can be traded or released.

In an interview with the Post published Friday, Marbury said he can't play for D'Antoni because he doesn't trust him.

"We need to separate from the relationship," he said, according to the Post. "The marriage is over. It's a done deal."

The Knicks are currently down to two healthy guards -- Chris Duhon and Anthony Roberson -- after Nate Robinson missed Wednesday's game with a groin injury and Cuttino Mobley has not yet been cleared by team doctors.

Marbury, who said his suspicion of D'Antoni has reached the point that "I wouldn't trust him to walk my dog across the street," said he did not create the Knicks' current situation, according to the Post.

"[D'Antoni] created this from the beginning," Marbury said, according to the report. "Why did he create this environment? I came here ready to play, focused, taking on the role I was ready to take on. They said, 'We don't want you.' I'm not in the plans. I said, 'OK, no problem.' "

"I didn't create this," Marbury said, according to the Post. "I'm sitting inside the car. I'm not behind the wheel in the driver's seat. I have no control of the wheel of the car, if we're turning or going straight. I'm sitting in the backseat. He's not going to play me because my heart isn't in it, because the way he treated me. That's on him, not me."

After Marbury reportedly declined to play against the Pistons, teammate Quentin Richardson offfered harsh criticism.

"I don't consider him my teammate," Richardson said of Marbury. "You don't do that to teammates. Regardless of whoever he's trying to stick it to, at the end of the day, we're being left out there."

Marbury responded to that criticism in his interview with the Post, saying "Quentin doesn't understand what's going on in the business side, but I'm sorry he feels that way."